Attorneys General from 21 states ask Supreme Court to hear suit against Maryland's assault weapons ban

A coalition of 21 state attorneys general filed a brief on Friday urging the Supreme Court to hear a case against Maryland's assault weapons ban.

The attorneys general for Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming jointly filed a friend of the court brief supporting the plaintiffs in Kolbe v. Hogan. The group believes Maryland's ban on certain semi-automatic rifles and magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition is unconstitutional, and are asking the Supreme Court to step in and strike the law down.

"Banning certain types of firearms steps on the Second Amendment," said West Virginia attorney general Patrick Morrisey in a statement about the group's brief. "Law abiding gun owners routinely use these firearms for self-defense or sporting. Such an unconstitutional act cannot stand."

Attorney General Morrissey said the outcome of the Maryland case will have repercussions for the entire country.

"This coalition's effort is really important because we have to protect Second Amendment rights," he said. "I hope that the Supreme Court hears this case so there are not undue restrictions on peoples' right to enjoy the Second Amendment. This matters not only for West Virginia, it matters for the entire country."